Knowledge · Healing Practices
Mudra
Hand gestures from the Yogic Tradition, described for educational reference.
Hridaya Mudra (Gesture of the Heart): Emotional Balance and Inner Calm
Hridaya Mudra, known as the Gesture of the Heart, is a powerful hand mudra that combines the thumb, index finger, and middle finger. In Sanskrit, Hridaya means heart, and this mudra is primarily associated with the Heart…
Jalandhara Bandha
The "Chin Lock" — drawing the chin toward the chest during breath retention, used throughout the Hatha Yoga Pradipika's kumbhaka practices.
Kalesvara Mudra (Gesture of Divine Protection and Balance)
Kalesvara Mudra is a powerful hand gesture formed by touching the middle fingers and thumbs together. In Sanskrit, Kalesvara represents the “Lord of Time” or divine energy that governs balance, transformation, and inner …
Khechari Mudra
A highly esoteric practice centered on the tongue, which the Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes as gradually trained, over an extended period, to rest above the soft palate.
Mahabandha
The "Great Lock" — combining the three principal bandhas during breath retention, described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika as directing prana upward through the central channel.
Mahamudra
The "Great Seal" — a combined posture, lock and breath-retention practice the Hatha Yoga Pradipika presents as one of its central teachings.
Mahavedha
The "Great Piercing" — performed from Mahabandha, said in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika to unite the body's three principal subtle channels.
Mulabandha
The "Root Lock" — a contraction of the pelvic floor the Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes as redirecting the body's downward-moving vital air upward.
Prithvi Mudra (Earth Gesture): Grounding and Stability
Prithvi Mudra, known as the Earth Gesture, is a simple yet powerful hand mudra that promotes grounding, stability, and physical vitality. In Sanskrit, Prithvi means “earth,” and this mudra connects you to the earth eleme…
Rudra Mudra (Gesture of Power and Transformation)
Rudra Mudra, known as the Gesture of Rudra or the Gesture of Power, is a dynamic hand mudra that combines the thumb, index finger, and ring finger. Named after Lord Rudra, an aspect of Shiva associated with transformatio…
Sahasrara Mudra (Gesture of the Crown): Spiritual Connection and Divine Awareness
Sahasrara Mudra, also called the Crown Gesture, is a simple yet powerful hand position where palms are open and facing upward. It is directly associated with the Crown Chakra (Sahasrara), the energy center that governs s…
Shakti Chalana Mudra
A practice the Hatha Yoga Pradipika associates with rousing dormant kundalini energy, closely connected in the text to Vajroli Mudra and breath retention.
Shankh Mudra (Conch Gesture): Purification and Energy Flow
Shankh Mudra, known as the Conch Gesture, is a symbolic hand mudra that resembles the shape of a conch shell. In Sanskrit, Shankh refers to the sacred conch, which is used in rituals to purify the environment and awaken …
Uddiyana Bandha
The "Upward-Flying Lock" — a deep abdominal lock the Hatha Yoga Pradipika treats as central to directing prana upward through the body.
Vajroli Mudra
A tantric hatha-yoga practice the Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes in explicitly esoteric terms, traditionally transmitted only through direct teacher guidance.
Varun Mudra (Water Gesture): Hydration and Emotional Balance
Varun Mudra, known as the Water Gesture, is a simple hand mudra that balances the water element in the body, supporting hydration, emotional fluidity, and smooth energy flow. In Sanskrit, Varun refers to the water elemen…
Viparitakarani Mudra
The "Inverted Action Seal" — a simple inversion the Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes as reversing the natural downward tendency of the body's vital fluids.